The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-26
And Points Out that There Are Other Impor-
tant Matters in Which the Mormons Are at
Variance with Republican Government.
Ex-Land Commissioner Sparks Takes a
Hand in the Warfare Against Lamar.
An Illinois Man Makes a Strong Appeal in
Urging Increase of His Pension-Senator
Pugh's Argument in Favor Of Treason.
THE MORMON QUESTION.

Delegate Dubois Gives Reasons for Refusing
to Admit Utah a State.
Special to the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON. Dec. 25.-"What interest is
taken by Idaho in the Utah question:" said the
Journal correspondent to F. T. Dubois, the
Idaho delegate
From one-ffth to one-sixth Of our popula-
ton is Mormon In southern Idaho, four Of the
counties solidly Mormon. The first arrests
and convictions under the Edmunds act took
place in our Territory. AS United States mar
shall, was forced to take more or less promi-
nent part, and when / ran for Congress, made
my canvass and secured my election on the
great issue. That issue is a simple one, sim
pie that it seoms difficult to make the people OF
the East comprehend It. 1t is merely the rigid
enforcement of existing laws. and the obtaining
of such amendments as shall divorce church and
state joint elements in the conduct Of politi-
cal institutions throughout large section of the
West It ought to be understood that the Nor
mons in Arizona, Idaho, Wyoming and New
Mexico are absolutely controlled by the central
church government at Salt Lake. The hierarchy
with it's insidious political power must be bro
ken down in Utah before its pernicous influence
can be throttled in the Western Territories. AS
long as Mormonism in Utah can flourish, defy
=
family relations all of Utahs neighbors have
a close and vital interest in any contest to
abridge its powers"
..But. as I understand it, Mr.. Dubois, the new
Constitution for the proposed State of Utah
pressly prohibits polyeamy, and also prohibits
any change in the Constitution affecting the
enactment making it crimo!"
ssI have no time to enter into protracted ar
gument to prove the bad faith of the church in
in their plausible plea for admission. In the
words of Eneas. Il fear the Greeks even bearing
gifts 1t ia enough to Say that within few
months have seen twelve Mormons, convicted
by federal juries of breaking the law against po-
lyeamy. fatty and defantly decline to accept
pardon upon promises of future obedience to
the laws of the United States. If under federal
laws federal courts ana federal juries, with fed
eral officials hunting down law-breakers, they
still defy the law, what can be expected under
statehood with the church supreme in all the
departments of government. and with the Nor
mons at once making, interpreting and enforc-
ing the statutes2 1t is absurdity on its face.
What possible vslue can the promises of such
men have when the object of their making IS
avowedly, simply to rid themselves OF federal
interference with what they openly announce as
the practice of their religions Those who will
not obey the laws should not be allowed to par
ticipate in making the laws"
zone of danger, through Ignorance. The
danger lies in a widespread misrepresentation OF
the objects and intentions of the Mormon
Church. / have been constantly confronted,
since nv arrival at Washington, with the :e-
mark from Senators and Representatives that
we must not think of admitting Utah until va
mend the Constitution by a clause prohibiting
polyeamy in all the States and Territories. But
polygamy is the deep, underlying issue.
That issue is the protection of American insti-
tutions. Polygamy is simply a manifestation. q
surface eruption which indicates a deep-seated
disease of the system. The Mormon Church is
an excrescence the body-politic. 1t consists
of an aggregation of men. blindly swayed by
their spiritual leaders. who openly defy the laws
of the country, whenever such laws come into
conflict with the orders of their spiritual super
visors. or the pretended revelations OF their
prophets. 1t 10 a community which openly de-
MES the binding force of the Repub blican doc
trine that the verdict OF the majority Is the su-
preme law of the state, or that the will OF the
most is better than the wish of the least The
Mormons' so-called religion teaches them that
higher and above all law is the dictatiou Of the
apostles the orders of their bishops the
directions, social and political. OF their
spiritual leaders. It teaches them-and here
il touches American institutions in a vital spot
that the Interpretation OF the church
perior to the Interpretation of the courts OF the
United States and that the first must be regarded.
where the two conflict, through dsobedience OF
the latter. In such a system there is no place
for American citizenship. right-minded men
understand it. its duties and it's responsibilities
In my mind, and in the mind OF all the law
abiding, educated and progressive men of the
West, who thrown in contact with this sys-
tenn, it would be worse than suicidal to take
Utah from its present condition OF federal de-
pendence. and give it autonomy until an over
whelming majority of its legal electors are not
only avowedly supporters of the law but are
themselves honestly aud cheerfully desirous OF
maintaining both the spirit and the letter of
American Institutions"